The big 3

[co_laper]

What do you guys think?

Should we break them up? Or maybe give it one last chance?

[Donald Kaufman]

I think the problem we have is our "Big 3" are fading faster than our young pups (Hill and Blair) are progressing into consistent, reliable rotation players. The Celtics have a good mix where they get steady production from their Big 3, without having guys like Rondo, Perk, Big Baby etc. be a liability.

When we were legit title contenders, we didn't need as much talent around TD, TP and Manu - their numbers were enough to get W's. Parker's backup was Jacque Freaking Vaughn for f's sake. Now we've got a deeper team, and the Big 3's numbers are still decent, but it's not translating into the type of success we're accustomed to seeing. TD doesn't command the double team anymore, for example. Teams no longer fear us like in years past.

I think it's time to break it up. I think our best option is to move TP for a small forward with a pulse. A Shane Battier type would be nice. Someone that can play all-world D and hit the long ball.

[God Squad]

Your Big 3 have been falling off for years. You chose not to acknowledge it. Ginobli is the only one of the 3 that's still playing good basketball.

[Donald Kaufman]

Yes we did. What a mistake on our part as fans that we failed to acknowledge it.

[joe.linnen]

Laker fan her but I love the Spurs big 3

[co_laper]

Personally, unless we trade Parker for another "Star" player, I don't think we should move Parker.

Moving Parker for "role players" won't exactly help us IMO. Just like 2009 when Manu is injured, what will happen is that we will lack scoring in a huge way. Plus, it's already obvious that we can't expect role players to come in and really play their best in his 1st year. So if we have to wait 2 years for his best production, combine that with TD's decline, that's not exactly a win win situation.

Now if we're able to move Parker for a Superstar, that might be different. A new guy coming in who instantly becomes our 1st or 2nd option won't have much trouble fitting in. It's when a new guy coming in as a 4th option who will have trouble.

I also don't think George Hill is ready to be a full time PG. It's good that he improves so much from year 1 to year 2, but he still has a long way to go. He improves a lot on the defensive end, but lets not make him out to be Gary Payton. He's now average to above average on defense. Offensively, he's gaining confidence, but he's still pretty inconsistent and he's not doing much of the playmaking. He still needs to improve that part of his game a lot. These 37 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, but 2 assists performance isn't what I'd be looking for. I personally rather have him be more like Rajon Rondo. He's not even close right now.

I think our best bet if we want to make one more run, is to stay with the big 3. Here's hoping whoever is our offseason acquisition, healthy Tony Parker, the improvements of our young players and Richard Jefferson's second year will more than offset the decline of Manu and Duncan.

[batmana]

I say keep the big 3 and try to assemble the best supporting cast you can. Call me naive but I always look forward to the draft regardless of the position we're drafting. History has shown you can find at least a rotation player at every position in the draft if you're looking and if you know what you need - just like Blair dropped to us last season which was almost unthinkable before the draft. This year I feel we need a wing and I know teams ahead of us will mostly go for bigs (4s and 5s) so it's up to the coaching staff to figure out which of the wings available at our spot will be the best fit. From what I've read there are at least a couple of quality guys and I'm really intrigued by Quincy Pondexter (based on scouting reports) even though I haven't seen him play... But there are also Stanley Robinson (not my favorite pick), James Anderson, Luke Babbitt, Dominique Jones, Devin Ebanks, Gordon Hayward (if he drops), Damion James, Willie Warren... What do you think guys, which one of these players (or maybe somebody else) would be the best player to draft?

[joe.linnen]

I say go after guys that would allow you to keep the big 3 together. I like Jefferson alot, I know he had a lot of ups and downs, but I think they need to keep him with a year under his belt with the Spurs he should be fine.

Jerry Stackhouse-G/F
Kurt Thomas-PF/C
Al Harrington-F
David Lee-F/C
Tracy McGrady-G/F
Matt Barnes-G/F
Louis Amundson-F/C
Channing Frye-F/C
Carlos Boozer-PF
Randy Foye-G
Josh Howard-G/F
Mike Miller-G/F

These players listed above are player that can help this team out. I would like to see Duncan in a front court with David Lee or Carlos Boozer or having Harrington or Amundson come off the bench. Foye, Barnes, Miller, Frye, and Stackhouse either one can come off the bench a fire in some points.

I would go for:

Boozer, Marnes, and Foye.

Spurs:
SF:Jefferson/Barnes
PF:Boozer/Blair
C:Duncan/McDyess
SG:Ginobili/Foye
PG:Parker/Hill

The Duncan and Boozer duo can be somewhat like the Duncan and Robinson duo. The can change it up either one of the can play outside or inside. I like the Spurs a lot too and was very pissed that I had to face off with the Suns instead on a title worthy team

[Donald Kaufman]

RJ sucks and needs to go.

[batmana]

I would go for:

Boozer, Marnes, and Foye.

Please, not Foye. He sucks big time. I like Barnes too but he has never signed a long contract and will look for a big payday. And Boozer is really, really good, I can't say anything against that. I'm not sure how we pull this, though. RJ is our best trade asset but Utah will surely have better offers for Boozer if they want to shop him.

[Blame Rasho]

We keep them... trade RJ at the trade deadline.

[joe.linnen]

I would go for:

Boozer, Marnes, and Foye.

Please, not Foye. He sucks big time. I like Barnes too but he has never signed a long contract and will look for a big payday. And Boozer is really, really good, I can't say anything against that. I'm not sure how we pull this, though. RJ is our best trade asset but Utah will surely have better offers for Boozer if they want to shop him.

Maybe you guys can send Jefferson for Boozer and then sign Barnes. The Jazz can move AK47 to Power Forward and slide Jefferson in at Small forward.

Spurs:
SF:Barnes/
PF:Boozer/Blair
C:Duncan/McDyess
SG:Ginobili/
PG:Parker/Hill

[Blame Rasho]

If I am a Jazz fan... I would puke at that offer.

[co_laper]

I think Jazz says they rather let Boozer go than pay RJ 15 million.

[David_Robinson]

I say you keep it in tact unless you get a good offer for Parker or you can trade him to a team with cap room for a TPE. Duncan and Manu are Spurs lifers and deserve to retire on the team also both are still playing well enough to help the team. Spurs got to develop their young talent (Blair, Hill) and make solid draft picks which they usually do (Quincy Pondexter is my pick). As far as Free Agency, we should target Eddie House as a 3 pt. artist of the bench (which we sorely missed last season). At the small forward spot, Matt Barnes is a good target (as he seems to bounce around to contenders) and if Barnes can't be signed Grant Hill (who had a marvelous playoffs) should be targeted. We can use the MLE and the cash we have from our expiring free agents to sign Barnes and House.

The key factor to put the Spurs over the top for one more run is acquiring a star bigman to play beside Duncan who is entering his twilight years. Obviously the eventual replacement for Duncan should be found through the draft (Id love Favours to be his heir if we traded up). However focusing on the short term and winning one more chip, the best option is to entice Carlos Boozer (who is an unrestricted) free agent to sign with us for 2-3 years. In order to create the cap room to sign Boozer one option is to trade Parker to a team with capspace such as Atlanta for at TPE which would equal around 13 mil. Atlanta needs a point guard as Bibby is getting up their an age and was not very productive last season. Boozer would be interested in signing with us because his team for the past several years could not make it past the second round of the playoffs and it does not seem that the team will drastically improve this offseason. Boozer has been in Utah for 6 seasons and has never one a chip, signing with the Spurs and teaming up with Timmy would create an elite front-court which would immediately place the Spurs within championship contention. Boozer is a great rebounder and has a refined high post game that would compliment Duncan in the low post as cause match up nightmares for opponents.

Here is the trade is mentioned of Parker to Atlanta for a TPE: http://www.realgm.com/src_tradechecker/3/

Here is a projected lineup next year if we go out and acquire the players mentioned above
Hill/House

Manu/House/Temple

Rjeff/Barnes (or Hill)/Gee

Boozer/Blair

Duncan, McDyess

This lineup gives us the most realistic shot at one more championship to cap off the dynasty

[co_laper]

Hey man, I don't think you understand the CBA very well.

First of all, yes we will have MLE. But there are no additional "cash" we have from expiring Free Agents. We will only be armed with 2 things this summer and that's the MLE and LLE (1.8 mil). Nothing else. Matt Bonner, Roger Mason, and whoever else that becomes a FA does not create cash for us to spend on other players.

Second of all, the trade you mentioned does not work and even the trade checker can't bring that trade up. Atlanta (if they let Joe Johnson go) is only 8 million under the cap so the Spurs won't be able to trade Parker's 13.5 million contract for the TPE. It has to be Parker for a player worth 5.5 mil and an 8 mil TPE.

Even if the Spurs do that, Utah has to get something for Boozer than a TPE. Makes no sense for Utah to trade Boozer just for the TPE. Both sides got to win something. Utah don't help San Antonio for nothing.

[EGame]

Hey Blazer fan here. I didn't really want to create a trade thread between the two teams, I also don't want you to feel as if I am derailing this thread, so it is a little off topic (only a little) but anyway, what would you guys think about a deal centered around Batum from Portland's end for Parker. The goal in trying to trade Batum is to keep our big 3 (Roy, Aldridge, and Oden), so I am seeing how bad you guys need a SF and if you guys have any interest in Batum and his potential. Obviously the salary wouldn't work with it just being Batum and Parker, so we could throw in like Miller and Pryzbilla or something? What would you guys think? I completley understand if you hate it since Parker is a former all-star and final MVP, just don't flame me to bad. Have a good one.

[co_laper]

Here's my take on this.

Remember last year's playoffs when Manu was injured? Basically, our problem was that we couldn't put points in the board. It didn't matter if our defense was still good enough. We were probably good enough to hold teams down to 80-90 points, but we couldn't score 80-90 againts an average defensive team. That was our problem when we were missing one of the big 3.

So my question about breaking up the big 3 to acquire "Role Players" such as Batum (who will be our Bruce Bowen again) is how are we gonna have enough offense? Wouldn't we just return to what we were without Manu? Only this time without Tony. Batum can be a prime Bruce Bowen and we hold teams to 80 points, but with an aging Duncan and Manu who will only play 30 minutes a game, there's too much scoring load being asked from a guy like George Hill and the bench.

I say no. I say we trade Parker only if we get a star caliber player in return. If we're looking for role players, we need to use Dice's contract and RJ's to do that. Not Parker's. If we're aiming for one more run, we need to keep Parker.